The loss of Sudan’s largest oil installation in the west has triggered a wave of sharp criticism against senior military leaders, after the El Fasher Resistance Committees accused top commanders in the SAF and the joint force of responsibility for the collapse of key cities. In a statement issued Monday, 8 December 2025, the committees warned that strategic areas now face genuine and escalating threats, while political and military leaders remain distracted by media disputes and mutual accusations instead of protecting the land, safeguarding civilians, and confronting the Rapid Support Forces.
The committees said the Rapid Support Forces’ takeover of the Heglig oil field dealt a major blow to Sudan’s economy. They argued that the SAF’s withdrawal from sensitive positions without clear explanation shows a lack of transparency, while the joint force remains stuck in bureaucratic disputes, leaving the field open for RSF advances amid disorder and the absence of coordinated planning.
According to the El Fasher committees, the defeats of recent months were not merely tactical retreats or geographical collapses under military pressure, but signs of a deeper leadership crisis. They said that the cities lost in recent months, from El Gezira, Nyala, and El Fasher to Babnousa and Heglig, demonstrate that the problem was not an unstoppable militia force, but hesitation and absence of decisive action from political and military leaders at critical moments.
The SAF’s loss of Heglig, a vital oil zone in western Sudan, unleashed widespread anger on social media, with many holding senior commanders responsible for the fall of economically strategic areas in West Kordofan. Videos and images circulated on Monday showing South Sudan’s government soldiers alongside RSF units near Heglig, prompting heated debate about a possible role played by South Sudan in recent developments.
The footage has raised questions about whether South Sudan intervened to protect the Heglig oil region and ensure continued oil flow through Sudanese territory. The energy ministries in both Sudan and South Sudan are expected to issue statements clarifying the situation and detailing what occurred, as the latest developments weigh heavily on the country’s economic and security landscape.
